But in this case, I’ll consider the survival statistics for my melanoma situation to be true, because they’re awfully good. First, the staging. The primary tumor is T3a, node status is NO, distant metastasis is MO.
Which puts me at Stage IIA, a most excellent place to be, especially considering where my mind was putting me yesterday.
The five-year survival rate for people in my situation is 97.0%, and the disease-free survival rate is 93.3%. Doesn’t get much better than that. Everything drops precipitously if mel has spread to the lymph nodes. But mine didn’t. Oh thank you powers that be!
Can’t even begin to say how good it felt to wake up this morning smiling and disease-free. I wish I could bottle this feeling.
Life is so incredibly precious, and I plan to enjoy every minute of it I’m being granted.
AB said
Hi – my brother-in-law was just diagnosed with Stage IV melanoma (spot on the lungs and one node positive). I stumbled upon your site. I am so happy for you that the nodes were negative. However, as you said, it could have hit the organs anyway via the blood stream. Are you considering a PET scan?
Best wishes,
Amy
melanomamoments said
Hi Amy,
I’m so sorry to hear about your brother-in-law’s diagnosis. Any idea what the treatment plan will be? There are lots of promising options out there now. I’ll be sending good thoughts in his direction.
I started to answer your scan question here, but it got to long so I made it a post of its own.